Asian summit provides plenty to scoff at

AFP , PATTAYA, THAILAND

The lobster had been grilled to perfection, the lights were low and the music tinkled softly in the background — all that was missing were the 16 foreign leaders.

Instead, reporters, junior officials and even a few soldiers in camouflage tucked into a gourmet dinner intended for heads of state after protests forced the cancelation of a major Asian summit in the Thai beach town of Pattaya.

The intended guests of honor — including Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso — had been airlifted out of the hotel venue hours earlier after 1,000 anti-government protesters smashed their way in.

Waitresses in traditional outfits glided around the grand ballroom in the five-star Royal Cliff Beach Resort on Saturday night serving their new guests after the Thai government decided not to let the food go begging.

“The hotel arrangements had all been made and rather than letting everything that was prepared go to waste it was decided to invite people who were still at the venue,” Thai foreign ministry official Thani Thongpakdee said.